Reading Eagle: Lauren A. Little |
Mara Musso, 3, of Wyomissing makes the best of the weather Tuesday, crafting a "marshmallow" in the snow outside her home. She was playing with her grandfather, Ron Furth of Colorado.

Messy conditions but few accidents on Tuesday

Related Links

A messy round of wintry weather on Tuesday left snow and ice on roadways, prompting businesses and schools to close.

But it was a mostly accident-free commute throughout the day, Berks emergency officials said.

AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Bob Larson said unofficial snow totals ranged anywhere between 1 and 3 inches throughout the region, with most of the day experiencing periods of freezing rain, sleet and rain.

"Not a great day to be out and about, but what are you going to do? It's February," Larson said.

Original forecasts called for as much as 7 inches of snow for Berks on Monday, but Larson said when it was actually cold enough to snow overnight Monday into Tuesday, the precipitation was very light, keeping snowfall totals lower. He said by the time the storm ramped up in intensity, the precipitation had already switched over to sleet and freezing rain.

And while predictions for freezing rain are typically alarming, Larson said, conditions remained relatively mild compared to what forecasters had feared.

"There's a big difference when freezing rain falls on top of snow that has already come down versus freezing rain falling on bare pavement turning it into a skating rink," Larson said.

Despite road conditions remaining better than expected, restrictions on certain vehicle travel continued throughout Tuesday night, including a limit on tractor-trailer, RV, motorcycle and trailer hauling on Interstate 78.

Larson said temperatures would hover around the freezing mark well into Tuesday night with precipitation ending around 4 a.m. He said temperatures were expected to drop back below freezing by daybreak, creating icy conditions on roadways and sidewalks and a slick morning commute.

Most school districts in Berks County announced a two-hour delay for Wednesday on Tuesday night.

Temperatures are expected to approach 40 degrees today, Larson said, with blustery conditions and sustained westerly winds between 15 mph and 25 mph and gusts as strong as 30 mph.

A warm-up for Thursday and Friday is coming, Larson said, with highs approaching the mid-50s by Friday afternoon.